The Great Commission and Biblical Prophecy

There is something undeniably beautiful about the structure of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25. It is not a random collection of apocalyptic sayings or disconnected warnings. It has unity. It has symmetry. It has flow. Jesus answers the disciples’ questions in an orderly, deliberate way. He begins with a…

In Matthew 24, Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives after foretelling the destruction of the temple. The disciples have asked about the destruction of the temple and “the end of the age” (Matt 24:3). In response, Jesus has given a series of signs—some unsettling, some glorious—all connected to the…

When Jerusalem fell in AD 70, and the temple was torn down stone by stone, it was not merely a political tragedy. It was the collapse of an entire covenantal world. Israel’s universe—centered on the temple, sacrifices, priesthood, and the Mosaic order—came crashing down. But in its place stood something…

When Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, he used some of the most dramatic language in the Bible. In Matthew 24:29, he spoke of the sun going dark, the moon refusing to shine, stars falling from the sky, and the powers of the heavens being shaken. To many readers,…

In this series, The Great Commission and Biblical Prophecy, we’re considering Jesus’ prophecy about the temple’s destruction (Matt 24:1–2), the disciples’ questions regarding the timing and the signs related to it (Matt 24:3), and Jesus’ response to their questions. We’re in the section where the Lord gives the signs (Matt…

In this series, The Great Commission and Biblical Prophecy, we’re considering Jesus’ prophecy about the temple’s destruction (Matt 24:1–2), the disciples’ questions regarding the timing and the signs related to it (Matt 24:3), and Jesus’ response to their questions. We’re in the section where the Lord gives the signs (Matt…

Let’s pause for a moment to reorient ourselves, especially regarding the overall theme of this blog series—the Great Commission and prophecy.  Jesus, in His Olivet Discourse, foretells the temple’s fall (Matt 24:1–2). The disciples, in response, ask for signs of that event (Matt 24:3). Jesus gives preliminary signs (Matt 24:4–14)…

Jesus closes His explanation of the “great tribulation” sign with a promise to deliver the elect Jews from that catastrophe: “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matt 24:22). He also tells His disciples what they must…

Jesus gives a second description of the “great tribulation” sign: it would be one “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt 24:21). This begins the shift in literary styles that I mentioned earlier (here), from unadorned prose…

In the last post (here), I discussed one aspect of Jesus’ great tribulation sign: the desolation it brought. Here, I begin examining the descriptions it required. Through these descriptions, Jesus showed the significance of the “great tribulation.” This time of upheaval would be (1) the days of God’s vengeance against…